Man to Face Execution in Alabama for 1997 Murder Case
Preparations are underway in Alabama for the execution of a man found guilty of a 1997 murder during a gas station robbery. The said man is set to become the latest individual to be executed using nitrogen gas.
The man, who is now 50, is set to face his execution at a correctional facility in south Alabama. He was found guilty of capital murder for taking the life of a 33-year-old woman during the robbery. The woman's son is among those who have pleaded with the governor of Alabama to change the man's death sentence to life imprisonment.
Interestingly, this is one of two executions planned for the same day in the United States. Another execution is scheduled to happen in Texas, also by lethal injection.
The Crime and Its Aftermath
The woman, who was a mother of two sons, was shot while she was crouched behind the counter at a gas station in Etowah County. The prosecution maintained that she was killed to ensure no witnesses were left behind.
According to court documents, $250 was stolen from a cookie tin that contained the gas station's cash. The man's girlfriend agreed to testify against him, and as a result, she was given a 35-year prison term for her involvement in the robbery and murder.
The man was found guilty of capital murder during a robbery, and the jury voted 10-2 in favor of the death penalty, a recommendation that was accepted by the judge. The judge mentioned that he found it hard to sentence a young man to death but stated that the murder was deliberate and carried out in an execution-style manner.
Remorse and Apologies
The man does not deny his actions. He admitted to the killing and confessed that he's still trying to understand why he committed such an act at the age of 21. He said that he and his girlfriend were desperate for money and decided to rob the gas station where he used to work.
“I regret it every day and wish I could undo it,” he confessed. He also expressed his desire to apologize to the woman's family, saying, “I’m so very sorry for the pain I’ve caused. I’m so very sorry for what I’ve taken from you, and I hope you can forgive me.”
A Call for Mercy
The woman's son has pleaded with the governor to stop the execution and instead let the man live out his life in prison. He said he has forgiven the man and believes that's what his mother would have wanted too.
“I don’t want this man to die. Revenge is not for the state, but for God,” he stated. He joined other opponents of the death penalty in a vigil outside the Alabama Capitol, delivering a petition asking for a halt to the execution.
In response, the governor stated that she respects his views but noted that Alabama law mandates death as a punishment for the most severe kinds of murder. She has commuted one death sentence during her term due to questions about the individual's guilt.
The man and the woman's son have exchanged letters and requested to meet before the execution. However, this request was denied for security reasons.
Nitrogen Gas Execution
The execution will be carried out using nitrogen gas. This method involves attaching a gas mask to the person’s face and having them breathe in pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen necessary for survival. Nitrogen, an inert gas that makes up 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere, is harmless when mixed with sufficient oxygen.
After Alabama lawmakers approved the use of nitrogen gas for executions in 2018, death row prisoners were given a brief window to choose their preferred execution method. This man was among several inmates who chose nitrogen. However, at that time, the state had not yet established procedures for its use, and it was uncertain when this would happen.
Alabama carried out the country’s first nitrogen gas execution in 2024. To date, six people have been executed using nitrogen gas — five in Alabama and one in Louisiana. Nonetheless, lethal injection remains the primary method of execution in Alabama.